Cornered Prey
by FemiCanada
Summary: After running away from home, Brendan has his mind set on challenging and defeating the Hoenn Elite Four. However, he is soon lost in the very depths of Victory Road, isolated in fear and darkness. The Professor's son should have stayed in the lab.
1. On the Run

**Disclaimer: Don't own Pokemon, GameFreak, or the characters featured in this story. Just figured out I don't have to put a disclaimer every chapter… whoops. Talk to you at the end of the chapter!**

**MISSING PERSON REPORT: **

FILED 8:42 A.M APRIL 12 20_

LITTLEROOT TOWN

NAME: BRENDAN BIRCH

HAIR: WHITE

EYECOLOR: BROWN

SKINCOLOR: WHITE

ESTIMATEDHEIGHT: 5'8

**POSSIBLY HOSTILE, USE PRECAUTION UPON APPROACH**

_ Right. This is it. _

I paused in front of the open cavern. The flickering light from what could only be trainers danced in the seemingly endless darkness. It was so unlike the electric lighting of the Center. All around me, the cheery air of the building unmatched my dark determination. A tuft of my messy white hair drifted down, but I paid it no mind, my gaze straight ahead, towards the cavern.

"You alright, kid?" the guardsman asked me, after examining my somber demeanor.

_ So isolated here. They wouldn't know to look here. Of course they wouldn't look here. _

"Fine," I said, turning to the guardsman, pausing in an effort to make a smile. "Just can't believe I'm finally here. Overwhelming."

_ He would have already told them I didn't do it, couldn't have gone to that one place. So, logically, they would skip over looking here. They wouldn't waste their time. _

"Hah, I bet. You ready, son?" the guardsman asked.

"_You're a failure for a son!" he yelled._

_ I stand dumbly as the door slams in my face, and I am alone. I sink slowly to the ground…_

I flinched at the word, but I managed to fake a smile once more, and nodded.

"Get in there then!" he shouted, a touch of humor in his tone. I might have laughed. Before.

_ The one place I couldn't have gone. Now I'm here, but they won't look here. Would they?_

The thought filled me again with a brief wave of panic, but I managed to conceal it. Time to go. I nodded to the guardsman, and walked past him, walked past the cavern opening, and left the light behind me. My eyes slowly adjusted to the dim light of Victory Road, and I took in my surroundings. There wasn't much besides the main path, and an alternate path would be difficult to navigate.

_ "_Go, Magma!" I shouted, and sent out my newly evolved Magcargo. I had been training in secret after going back home. He didn't know how strong my team had gotten. He was wrong about me, I would show him.

Magma would help me light the way, to the alternate path, where there was no trainers. The trainers might have received the bulletin. I couldn't risk it, even if it meant isolation. I didn't want to go back there, to the broken home of greed and lies. Not here, not now. I would show him.

After standing in silence for a few moments, I suddenly became aware of Magma looking at me, waiting for a command, and I snapped out of my dreary thoughts.

"Just follow," I said, starting to climb a large rock formation,

He obliged, and followed me close behind.

THEENDISNEVERTHEENDISNEVERTHEENDIS

It was later. Much later. I couldn't see the light from the main path now. Good. Unfortunately, I had absolutely no idea where I was. Bad. I sighed, trying to make sense of my GPS I had gotten from the lab. Magma still followed me, still not tired of what must have been the hours of wandering aimlessly around this cavern.

I stopped, suddenly, deciding to stop for now. Maybe I could get this damn thing to work correctly.

_ Well, being raised by a Professor has to account for something, doesn't it?_

"Magma. Here," I commanded, surprisingly stern. I pointed in front of me. He slithered to the spot, and rested there, obviously understanding that this was resting time.

_ What did I just do? _

The thought nagged at me, each and every step I had taken since I had left. I took out the remainder of my pokeballs, and sent my team out., one by one. They looked around, taking in their surroundings. They must have been confused.

"Ah. Yeah. Forgot to tell you guys. We're going to the Elite Four today."

This puzzled them even more, spare Magma, whom I already explained to. Well. I might have, considering he knew what the hell I was saying.

"Um, you know, a battle. 4 big battles. 5, actually. Hopefully."

They still seemed a bit baffled, but my Swampert seemed to grasp the concept. If only a little.

I managed to smile at my team, proud of them. They've come so far.

And yet…

My smile abruptly faded. Utter panic started to rise in my lungs.

_ And yet.. I shouldn't BE here. I'm just some nerd's son from Littleroot. I've been in a lab all my life! I can't do this! I'm not May! I should be at home, in the lab, where I belong, damn it! Why did I do this? Why, oh why, oh why…_

I sank to my knees in hopelessness. My team surrounded me, concerned. I paid them no attention. I couldn't do this. If he says I couldn't do it, then I can't do it. I know he's right, why I set off on this hopeless conquest, I had no idea. Maybe for once I wanted him to be proud of me. Maybe for once I wanted him to treat me like his son instead of his worker. Maybe…

The heat hit me like a wave, like Magma when he got mad and jumped on me, except a thousand times more hot. Beads of sweat leaked all over my body. I felt bumps in the cavern floor, I shook with the sudden quakes of the earth.

BAM. BAM. BAM.

My team dispersed, and looked at the monstrosity that had appeared out of nowhere. I managed to look up, and my eyes widened at the sight. Its eyes were yellow, with a small black pupil in each. Its body was a deep blood red, black lines separating parts of its skin into plates. It had a crest on his head, black then red then black then red again.

ARRRRRRRRRRRAAAAAAAAAA!

The monster revealed its razor sharp teeth as it roared, and newfound confidence flowed through me. I could do this, I could show him, I could show them ALL.

_ This is why. _

**AN: Alright, phew! That took a lot of work! Did so much research on this, why it took a while to write this single chapter. I, personally am a bit proud of it, its my second attempt at writing a full story(not that I gave up on the first, of course, it's a working progress!). But anyways, its not really what I think of it that I care about, its what you think of it! Please, don't hesitate to Review to tell me what I should have done better with this, constructive criticism is appreciated! And if you totally loved it, please just follow and favorite, really helps those updates come faster, you know! One last thing, if you liked this story, go check out my other story, Saved by an Angel! All OC! Uh-huh. **

**Anywho… **

** FemiCanada ouuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuut!~**

** P.S- I edit my chapters often. So, again, any bothers on this chapter, review, and I'll be sure to fix it ASAP. **


	2. Underestimating the Opponent

** UPDATE: MISSING PERSON BRENDAN BIRCH**

SPOTTED AT EVERGRANDE CITY APRIL 19 10:21 P.M.

SUSPECTED TO BE LOCATED IN VICTORY ROAD

** FURTHER INVESTIGATION OF SUPPOSED REPORT SHALL FOLLOW**

"Swami," I said slowly to my stunned Swampert. "Muddy Water."

"Alonzo, charge up on SolarBeam." Tropius.

"Polka, Fake Out, double time." Ludicolo.

"Magma, Rock Throw, but hang back."

My Pokemon attacked the snarling, roaring beast, as I stood still, frozen.

Polka ran up to it, midroar, and smacked the hell out of it before running back, huffing and puffing. Too much for the chubby Pokemon to handle at one time.

Due to the extra time we got from the Fake Out, Swami managed to get a good sized Muddy Water to hit it. Unfortunately for the monster, because it roared again after Polka shamed it, got dirty water all in its gaping maw.

As it coughed up the water, still trying to roar menacingly, Magma managed to hurl a pretty rock at the monster's skull, which dazed it quite a bit, what with water still in its mouth.

I couldn't help but smirk a little to myself. This big, dumb IT was supposedly the thing that created Hoenn? It was coughing up water, rubbing its freakishly large skull with its freakishly large clawed hand, looking quite pathetic at the moment.

It was obviously not used to getting the shit beaten out of it, because it took long enough for Alonzo to get charged up on SolarBeam. Which is a hell of a long time, considering we were in a cave.

Alonzo got out its own mini roar (pathetic, compared to the monster's) and shot a laser beam of light at its chest. The monster was knocked back quite a bit, huffing and puffing.

Almost too easy.

"Again!" I shouted. I then stopped Polka, who obviously was confused as to what he should do. "You stay with me. You can't do much at the moment."

My team went through the same thing again, this time with Magma and Swami attacking at almost the same time. The monster was still nursing its wounds. Well, trying to, so it made no attempt to protect itself.

_ How pathetic! Wait till you see what I brought home for research, DAD. Going to be proud now, DAD? Am I good enough now?!_

I looked away from the fight, confident in my team's abilities. I bent down to get a pokeball from my satchel. I searched for one and, comically, couldn't find one. Polka managed a light laugh amid all the chaos happening around us. I searched deeper, finally finding the Master Ball Dad gave me when I was little. Polka whimpered beside me, and then tugged at my t-shirt.

"Hold on, hold on," I said, rising to my feet.

That's when I heard it. A sudden shriek.

_ "Mom!"_

_ I hear the shriek again. I run down the hall, to my parent's bedroom, cursing and more shrieks emanating from inside. _

_ My 6 year old hands fumble at the door._

_ "Mom!" I cry again. The door is locked. I start to bang on it, screaming her name as she screams mine. _

_ Suddenly, she stops screaming. _

_ "No! Mom! Mommy…"_

_ Tears roll down my face, my banging getting weaker and weaker, until I just stand there, whispering her name._

I turned around quickly, witnessing the monster grasping Swami with its clawed hand. With its other hand, it swiped at his throat. Swami shrieked once more, blood pouring out of him. Magma desperately unleashed Rock Throw after Rock Throw, as Alonzo let out another Solar Beam. Polka rushed to join the fray, uttering a warlike cry.

The monster then dropped my partner to the ground, carelessly. Swami fell like a rag doll, unmoving, a pool of blood starting to collect at his muddy blue body.

"NO!" I screamed. Desperation and anger clawed at my body, but I could only watch as it crushed Magma with one shell shattering blow. Magma stopped moving. It then moved on to Alonzo, but I could only hear one loud crack, what I assume to be the snap of Alonzo's neck. Alonzo's eyes were unseeing. The monster picked up the still shrieking Polka, biting into its belly. Polka's blood went _drip drip drip_ down the monster's claws. He also stopped shrieking, too.

"No, no, no, no, no, no…" my protests soon turn into childlike whispers. I crumple toward the ground, horrified at the scene before me. I cradle the Master Ball in my hand, then drop it on the cave floor. I get to my feet, tears making marks through the grime on my face.

I force myself to take a step forward, toward the monster. And then another. And another. Next thing I knew, I was running, screaming and cursing as it turned around to face me with its soulless yellow reptilian eyes.

"RAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAWWWWWWWRRRR!" it roared as I came closer and closer. The words I uttered soon became incomprehensible animal sounds.

"I'll show you!" I screamed, images of my fallen comrades flashing through my mind. "I'LL SHOW ALL OF YOU!"

I jumped up at it. I failed to see a freakishly huge clawed hand coming towards me. I failed to notice it hit my skull. What I did succeed in doing, however, was blacking out.

** A/N: Well… there that is! I really hope that didn't screw anything up for you all. Also, to note, since I couldn't find anything about Brendan/May's mom, I left the choice open to people whether she is dead or not. Because I have no idea if Brendan has a mom or not in the game. That's why I have to do freaking research all the time. Anyway. Thanks for reading! Review, constructive criticism is appreciated! If you loved it, make sure to Follow and Favorite. Also check out my OC story Saved by an Angel! I'll get back to that one, eventually… ._.**

** FemiCanada ouuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuut!~**


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